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Alcoa’s NC Pollution & Re-Licensing

Badin Lake, one of several major reservoirs located on the main stem of the Yadkin River, serves as the primary drinking water source for the City of Albemarle. Citizens throughout the entire region, as well as many others from North Carolina, utilize Badin Lake for fishing and swimming. Alcoa, one of the world’s leading producers of primary aluminum, conducted its aluminum smelting operations from approximately 1915 until mid-2007 at the Badin Works plant, located adjacent to Badin Lake.

Alcoa has discharged pollutants into the air, land and waterways during the operation of the Badin Works Plant. There are at least six known contamination sites located around the Alcoa plant. Alcoa has acknowledged that the operation of the Badin Works plant has also resulted in contamination of the public water supply. The known contaminants include cyanide, fluoride, PCBs, solvents, metals, hydrocarbons, benzene, naphthalene and methane.  To learn more about toxic byproducts generated from Aluminum production, read an on-line report from the USEPA Office of Solid Waste.

Alcoa is pursuing another 50-year license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in order to continue producing hydropower for sale, but its application has been delayed over environmental questions from State government agencies and officials. It is attempting to receive a required 401 Water Quality Certification from the NC Division of Water Quality.  Written comments may be sent to Governor Bev Perdue to express your opinion and concerns on the re-licensing issue.

Essentially, Alcoa wants to control the rights to this important public resource for the next 50 years and continue to generate approximately $50 million a year from the hydropower operations, while passing on a toxic legacy to NC citizens with no obligation requiring clean up and no obligation to provide jobs for NC citizens.
 
Yadkin Riverkeeper and a growing coalition of concerned parties are asking the state to deny Alcoa’s 401 water quality permit. Alcoa must address their contamination of Badin Lake and satisfy other water quality concerns (like low Dissolved Oxygen releases) associated with its hydropower operations. Please take action now and tell the state of NC to deny Alcoa's 401 permit request.

Click for Dr. John H. Rodgers Jr.'s Review of PCBs in Badin Lake
(PDF download)

View Internal Alcoa Documents Revealing Contamination

Learn about Alcoa's Worldwide Pollution



 
 
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